Dennis D. McDonald’s MOVIE REVIEWS
This section contains links to my occasional movie & DVD reviews. A complete index is here.
I’ve enjoyed previous Harry Potter movies but I found this one to be tedious, boring, and pretentious. For the first time I found Harry, Hermione, and Ron to be uninteresting and unengaging.
This is one of the most emotionally engaging films I’ve ever seen. I’m not completely sure why.
Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 12:32PM in Cosmic, Drama, Fantasy, Intelligent, One of a Kind Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald
Just because this movie is available on streaming Netflix, don’t waste your time. It’s awful. Specifically, it’s unoriginal, derivative, boring, and the characters are totally uninteresting and unsympathetic.
If you’re hankering for a real Los Angeles invasion flick, check out 1954’s THEM. It’s infinitely superior to this turkey.
Review copyright (c) 2011 by Dennis D. McDonald
Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 10:41AM in Monsters, Science Fiction, Sucks, Turkey Back in my early days of reviewing films when my kids were growing up and still at home I created a special category called “Young People” where I placed movies that didn’t treat cinema kids like idiots or totally obsessed with sex and fart jokes.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 05:41AM in Action, Another Time & Place, Fantasy, Scary, Science Fiction, Sweet Unrelentingly grim, this movie follows a group of 14th Century soldiers as they seek out a remote village in the English countryside that is rumored to have been spared a visit by the bubonic plague.
I enjoyed this movie a lot but it could have been much better had more attention been devoted to character and story.
The Ozark back country depicted in this film is one that Facebook and Twitter have ignored. Or maybe it’s the other way around.
Readers of my book and movie review will know about my occasional hankering for a Western. It’s no surprise I was looking forward to this movie especially given my positive reaction to my recent discovery of the novel.
Sunday, June 12, 2011 at 03:38PM in Action, Another Time & Place, Drama, Spouse Approved, Western This thoroughly enjoyable 1959 classic is a childhood favorite. Viewed again recently I was pleasantly surprised to see how enjoyable it remains.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 06:09AM in Action, Fantasy, One of a Kind, Popcorn, Science Fiction I never paid much attention to Marvel comics when I was a kid; “Thor” always struck me as a third-string also-ran property forever in the shadows of the more popular Superman, Batman, or Fantastic Four. But no matter; this film is tricked out with production values and imagery that are first rate.
Basically, if you’re into really well-made sci-fi-action-zombie-post-acopalyptic-action-gorefests, this one’s for you.
Swords, grit, shields, alien lands, culture clashes, honor, heroism, and a cruel empire. Mix wisely with colorful photography, human scale action, crisp editing, and intelligent dialog, and you have THE EAGLE.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 12:11PM in Action, Another Time & Place, Antiquity, War This bare-bones DVD contains a gorgeous color wide screen version of a 1965 Italian science fiction movie directed by Mario Bava that boasts many scenes eerily reminiscent of images and situations in the later ALIEN movies.
Friday, February 4, 2011 at 08:47PM in Scary, Science Fiction, Space Travel, Vampires, Zombies What an extraordinary film this is. Visually it’s a feast; colors and clever framing delight the eye. The plot twists and turns. And Penélope Cruz positively glows in scene after scene.
Friday, January 21, 2011 at 05:02AM in Comedy, Drama, One of a Kind, Romantic This Thai ghost story/crime thriller is convoluted, intense — and scary.
Seeing this movie again after a delay of several years I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it holds up.
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 08:08AM in Classic, Science Fiction In my book, Michael Caine can do no wrong — this vigilante movie is another example.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 09:19AM in Action, Crime, Drama, One of a Kind, Spouse Approved Excellent film.
Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 06:31AM in Biography, History, Spouse Approved By Dennis D. McDonald
Here they are:
Copyright (c) 2010 by Dennis D. McDonald
Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 06:12PM It is 1937 in Foshan China, a city dominated by rival martial arts academies that constantly test who is the best. Over all lords the wealthy but humble merchant Ip Man whose fighting technique is acknowledged by all as superior.
Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 01:50PM in Action, Chinese, History, Martial Arts